Evolution battle in schools continues

Local parents protest revisions to science curriculum standards.

The Florida Department of Education's rescheduled public hearing on the revised state science curriculum standards will take place at The Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership in Jacksonville from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 3. The address is 4019 Boulevard Center Drive, and the phone number is (904) 348-5757.

Revisions to the standards, which inform everything from teacher training to textbook selection, are set for approval as early as January. But if some local parents have their way, it won't be without a fight. And they already have one state board member on their side.

Two years ago, when science standards were first up for review, the outcry came from those who worried the state's new K-12 chancellor of education, a creationist who had been ousted in Minnesota, would try to water down the teaching of evolution.

But once the new proposed standards were finally written, they were widely lauded for acknowledging the backbone of biological science for the first time in state history. So this time around, the criticism comes from those who believe students should be taught about alternate theories, too.

In their current form, the standards simply contain a vague reference to "changes over time." That's why in 2005, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gave Florida an F grade during a review of science education programs nationwide, saying that overall - and not just because of evolution - the state's standards were weak and, at times, factually inaccurate. The same reviewer gave the new standards a much better grade.

But not everyone is pleased.

Kim Kendall and Lynda Follenweider, parents in northern St. Johns County, are leading a charge to get the State Board of Education to "red flag" the new standards. They aren't against teaching evolution but want the standards to leave open the possibility of discussing other theories. When they called to find out more about a November public hearing in Jacksonville, they found out it was canceled. It has since been rescheduled, along with another one in Tampa. Two meetings in other cities went on in November as scheduled.

The two say the department is trying to quietly pass the standards without widely publicizing opportunities for public comment because evolution is such a hot-button issue.

The two successfully lobbied state Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, to speak to the board at its meeting Tuesday, even though the science standards won't be on the agenda.

Tom Butler, spokesman for the Department of Education, said he believes the department has "gone above and beyond" to get the information out about the changes. He pointed out that the Web site set up for people to review the standards has gotten a lot of visitors, and that the department is holding more than the one required public hearing. All were advertised in the Florida Administrative Weekly.

The writers and researchers of the new standards will consider the public comments before bringing the final draft to the board.

Already, one of the board members Kendall contacted has said she'll vote against the new standards as they are written: Donna Callaway believes teachers should have the leeway to acknowledge other theories, she told the Florida Baptist Witness.

That's what Joe Wolf, president of Florida Citizens for Science, is afraid of. He said evolution has been tested over and over again, and stands up every time.

"I don't know if I'm going to say I'm optimistic," he said. "I have been told that the state board and DOE have been under tremendous pressure to essentially eliminate evolution."

Wolf said he believed all sides have had the chance for input. He went to the public hearing held in Orlando and said that many sides were presented, although "there weren't hundreds of people there."

He said he's fearful that the standards will be rejected based on the evolution issue even though they have been upgraded significantly in all of the areas.